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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. file — a tool
  3. fine — all right
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. land — a country
  7. band — a music group
  8. land — to come down
  9. file — a line of people
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. file — a document
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. land — ground
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. band — a ring
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fine — high quality

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