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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. file — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spring — a coil
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mark — a trace
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. band — a ring
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. file — a document
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. plane — an aircraft

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