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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. lie — to recline
  3. file — a document
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. net — after costs
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. shower — to wash
  9. net — in sport
  10. shower — rain
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. net — for catching
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fork — to eat with
  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