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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. stand — to bear
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wind — moving air
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. field — for sport
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wind — moving air

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