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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. game — wild animals
  6. firm — decided
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spring — a coil
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. firm — steady
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. firm — a company
  22. file — a document
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lash — an eyelash

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