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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. current — of water
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. field — for sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. current — electric
  7. sharp — clever
  8. face — to confront
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. march — the month
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. file — a document
  13. field — farmland
  14. march — the month
  15. current — happening now
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. march — music
  18. file — a tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. field — a subject
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. face — part of the head

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