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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rock — a stone
  3. charge — a price
  4. file — a document
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bat — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. charge — electricity
  12. file — a tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — in control
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — music
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. march — music

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