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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — a grade
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — ground
  8. march — music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. march — the month
  12. file — a tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bass — low music
  15. season — in sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. rush — hurry
  19. season — of the year
  20. file — a document
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rush — to hurry

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