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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pit — in a race
  9. face — part of the head
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pit — a hole
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cap — a hat
  14. file — a document
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. cap — a lid
  21. face — to point toward
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — a tool
  24. firm — decided

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