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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tube — a container
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — a tool
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. field — for sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. field — farmland
  23. tube — the underground
  24. field — a subject

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