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 · file · season · bound · root · temple · chip · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bound — certain
  3. plane — a tool
  4. root — of a plant
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. land — to come down
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. root — of a word
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chip — to eat
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. season — in sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. land — ground
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chip — for betting
  19. file — a tool
  20. season — of the year
  21. bound — tied together
  22. root — the cause
  23. file — a document
  24. chip — in a computer

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