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: wake · cell · plane · file · suit · rash · row · bat

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. file — a tool
  4. rash — a series
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. row — a line
  8. suit — in cards
  9. file — a document
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. row — to paddle
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bat — the animal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. suit — to fit
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wake — a trail

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