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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. land — to come down
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — a country
  8. field — for sport
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. degree — an amount
  11. track — a song
  12. field — farmland
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — a subject
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. land — ground
  17. file — a document
  18. degree — from a university
  19. track — to keep track
  20. file — a tool
  21. track — a path
  22. stand — to bear
  23. kick — in football
  24. nail — for a hammer

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