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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. file — a document
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. file — a line of people
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rule — a law
  14. kick — in football
  15. file — a tool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rule — government
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rule — to rule out

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