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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ground — the earth
  8. last — final
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ground — a position
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a document
  20. rush — hurry
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a line of people

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