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: file · mouse · drill · spring · stem · pit · face · pound

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. spring — of water
  4. face — part of the head
  5. drill — army training
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. file — a document
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. face — to confront
  11. file — a tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spring — the season
  15. file — a line of people
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pound — to hit hard

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