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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mug — a face
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mate — to breed
  6. field — farmland
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mate — a partner
  13. field — for sport
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — a subject
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mug — to rob
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. plane — a tool
  24. vault — a safe

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