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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rest — a break
  16. lean — thin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. plane — a 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