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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rock — music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mate — to breed
  7. file — a document
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — a friend
  11. club — for golf
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. tear — from crying
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. march — the month
  19. club — a group
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. file — a tool

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