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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mark — a trace
  7. march — music
  8. file — a line of people
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — in music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — to breed
  17. row — a line
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — the month
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. file — a document
  23. key — for a lock
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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