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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · land · craft · jam · last · face · can · file

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. face — to point toward
  4. land — ground
  5. file — a document
  6. can — a tin
  7. last — final
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. race — the arms race
  11. craft — a skill
  12. last — finally
  13. land — a country
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. file — a tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. face — to confront
  20. race — humankind
  21. last — to go on
  22. race — a contest
  23. craft — boats
  24. file — a line of people

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