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: key · fine · cold · face · current · file · spell · lie

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. face — to confront
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. face — to point toward
  6. current — of water
  7. fine — all right
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — for a lock
  12. current — electric
  13. file — a line of people
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — happening now
  18. lie — to recline
  19. face — part of the head
  20. spell — letters
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. spell — magic
  23. fine — high quality
  24. spell — a short time

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