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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mate — a friend
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — a lid
  9. land — ground
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. land — to come down
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chest — a box

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