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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. file — a tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — to eat
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chip — for betting
  16. file — a line of people
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. scale — in music
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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