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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fine — all right
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chest — of your body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chest — a box
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rush — to hurry

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