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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. land — ground
  3. drill — army training
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. charge — in control
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. charge — a price
  15. drill — a practice
  16. land — to come down
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. march — the month
  19. land — a country
  20. mark — a grade
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. staff — a stick
  24. drill — the tool

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