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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · prune · march · drill · mug · firm · content · cabinet

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. march — music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. content — happy
  5. march — the month
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — a company
  8. file — a document
  9. drill — army training
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mug — a cup
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mug — a face
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — steady
  18. march — the month
  19. firm — decided
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. content — the amount
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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