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

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. drill — the tool
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. file — a line of people
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. craft — a skill
  14. board — to get on
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. craft — boats
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. board — a committee

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