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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spring — of water
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. can — a tin
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — the season
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lie — to recline
  19. can — to be able to
  20. craft — boats
  21. pit — a hole
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lie — an untruth

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