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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. file — a document
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. craft — a skill
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bat — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  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