ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. rock — music
  6. chair — a leader
  7. track — a path
  8. race — humankind
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bound — tied together
  12. track — to keep track
  13. file — a tool
  14. rock — a stone
  15. file — a line of people
  16. hand — help
  17. track — a song
  18. bound — obliged
  19. file — a document
  20. race — a contest
  21. bound — certain
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — in cards
  24. race — the arms race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com