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

Word bank: lie · jam · pitcher · coach · march · foot · staff · file

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. file — a tool
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. march — the month
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. march — the month
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. file — a line of people
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. march — music
  22. file — a document
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pitcher — a jug

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