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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wax — to grow
  5. key — in music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — to rob
  8. file — a tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. file — a document
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. key — for a lock
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. march — the month
  20. swing — music
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — a face
  23. file — a line of people
  24. swing — in golf

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