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 · mouse · game · content · stand · march · mug · bore

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. game — a match
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. content — happy
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. march — music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. march — the month
  20. content — the amount
  21. game — wild animals
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mug — a face
  24. march — the month

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