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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bound — certain
  3. cold — not warm
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — to play on
  7. face — to confront
  8. cold — an illness
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. face — part of the head
  12. file — a document
  13. mug — a face
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. file — a tool
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bound — tied together
  20. file — a line of people
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. swing — music
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rush — to hurry

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