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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. field — a subject
  6. drill — a practice
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. fine — all right
  14. plane — a tool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. drill — the tool
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. plane — an aircraft

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