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: march · file · jam · ball · press · plane · capital · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a great time
  4. march — the month
  5. capital — a city
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. file — a line of people
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. firm — decided
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. ball — a dance
  16. file — a document
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. march — music
  19. press — to push
  20. file — a tool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. firm — a company

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