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: mug · pitcher · bark · swing · file · club · season · mate

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — a partner
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — to breed
  10. club — for golf
  11. swing — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bark — to shout
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mate — a friend
  17. club — a group
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. club — for dancing
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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