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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fork — in a road
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. swing — in golf
  7. file — a document
  8. tube — a container
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — music
  16. capital — a city
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. file — a tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. capital — money
  21. wax — to grow
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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