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: file · coach · roll · lie · track · mug · bear · sharp

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. roll — a list
  3. file — a document
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mug — a face
  9. roll — a cake
  10. file — a tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. file — a line of people
  16. track — a song
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lie — to recline
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — a path

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