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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. file — a line of people
  3. drill — army training
  4. file — a tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. last — finally
  16. drill — a practice
  17. last — final
  18. bass — low music
  19. file — a document
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wake — a trail

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