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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. file — a tool
  3. ground — a position
  4. track — a path
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. object — to protest
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — to keep track
  9. staff — employees
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. ground — the earth
  15. staff — employees
  16. object — a thing
  17. bulb — for light
  18. track — a song
  19. file — a line of people
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. file — a document
  23. object — an aim
  24. ground — crushed

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