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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bound — certain
  6. press — to push
  7. wind — moving air
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mark — a grade
  11. file — a document
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bound — tied together
  16. file — a tool
  17. land — ground
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. land — to come down
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mark — a trace
  23. land — a country
  24. plane — 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