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: land · face · perch · track · lie · band · craft · file

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. file — a tool
  4. land — a country
  5. craft — boats
  6. face — to confront
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — a song
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. land — to come down
  13. craft — a skill
  14. track — a path
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lie — to recline
  19. band — a music group
  20. land — ground
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a ring
  24. perch — the fish

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