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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. object — an aim
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — a tool
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. squash — the sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bank — of a river
  15. object — to protest
  16. squash — to crush
  17. object — a thing
  18. bank — for money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bank — for money
  24. squash — the vegetable

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