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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. file — a document
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. march — music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — in cards
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mine — for digging
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. plane — a tool
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. suit — to fit
  21. track — a path
  22. mark — a trace
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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