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: plane · field · file · season · temple · nail · roll · cell

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. field — farmland
  4. season — of the year
  5. roll — a list
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. file — a document
  13. field — a subject
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. file — a line of people
  19. season — in sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. field — for sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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