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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. face — to point toward
  3. plane — a tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. can — to be able to
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. land — ground
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rash — a series
  12. face — part of the head
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. face — to confront
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. file — a tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. land — to come down
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a document
  21. bass — low music
  22. file — a line of people
  23. key — in music
  24. can — a tin

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