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: ground · straw · bear · bass · rule · date · suit · file

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. file — a tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. file — a document
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ground — a position
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. file — a line of people
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. suit — to fit

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