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: racket · fork · march · file · deal · chest · rule · coach

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. march — the month
  6. rule — a law
  7. file — a document
  8. march — the month
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. file — a tool
  18. rule — government
  19. march — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fork — in a road
  23. chest — of your body
  24. deal — to handle

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