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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. file — a document
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. file — a line of people
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. plane — a tool
  8. race — humankind
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fall — to drop
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pit — in a race
  18. file — a tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — government
  24. wound — an injury

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