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 120 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 · lash · cue · ruler · present · field · stock · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. present — a gift
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. field — farmland
  12. file — a tool
  13. cue — for pool
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. file — a document
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cue — a signal
  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