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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — a container
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — to bear
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rash — a series
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rash — on the skin

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