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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. file — a document
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a line of people
  7. field — farmland
  8. bat — the animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lean — thin
  12. march — the month
  13. row — a line
  14. lean — to bend
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  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