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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — happening now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — a tool
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. file — a line of people
  11. root — of a word
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. root — the cause
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. file — a document
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. current — electric
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. current — of water

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