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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. last — finally
  5. foot — a measure
  6. last — final
  7. sharp — clever
  8. root — the cause
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — the sport
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rush — hurry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. file — a tool
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. last — to go on
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. file — a document
  24. squash — to crush

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