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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. field — farmland
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. field — for sport
  12. mine — for digging
  13. file — a line of people
  14. current — happening now
  15. stand — to bear
  16. season — in sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. current — of water
  24. file — a tool

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