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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. craft — boats
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bat — the animal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cold — an illness
  17. current — electric
  18. board — a committee
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cold — not warm
  21. current — of water
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. plane — a tool
  24. board — to get on

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