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 124 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. file — a tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. suit — to fit
  9. roll — a list
  10. track — to keep track
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. track — a path
  17. suit — in cards
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — to breed
  20. file — a line of people
  21. march — the month
  22. track — a song
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. roll — a cake

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