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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. current — electric
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ball — a dance
  11. current — happening now
  12. file — a tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. file — a document
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — of water
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. plane — 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