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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fine — all right
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. press — newspapers
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. press — to push
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. plane — a tool
  12. file — a tool
  13. fine — high quality
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a document
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rock — a stone
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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