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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bass — the fish
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. spell — magic
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. band — a ring
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spell — letters
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bass — low music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. face — to confront
  24. file — 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