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: craft · bound · face · file · row · rule · ground · nail

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a line of people
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — to confront
  5. row — to paddle
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — certain
  9. rule — a law
  10. file — a tool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. file — a document
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bound — tied together
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. craft — boats
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rule — government
  19. ground — a position
  20. row — a line
  21. face — part of the head
  22. craft — a skill
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ground — the earth

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