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 · plane · straw · file · field · swing · charge · hide

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. field — for sport
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. field — farmland
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. file — a document
  9. field — a subject
  10. charge — electricity
  11. file — a line of people
  12. charge — a price
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — in control
  19. swing — to play on
  20. file — a tool
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. straw — dry grass

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