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: dip · pitcher · file · mate · march · safe · band · toast

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. march — music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mate — to breed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — the month
  15. file — a document
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a tool
  18. march — the month
  19. dip — to sink
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. file — a line of people
  23. band — a ring
  24. mate — a friend

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