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: track · rush · file · capital · perch · roll · toast · march

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. roll — a list
  3. march — music
  4. capital — money
  5. perch — the fish
  6. file — a line of people
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. toast — bread
  14. capital — a city
  15. rush — hurry
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. march — the month
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. march — the month
  20. file — a document
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. file — a tool

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