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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hand — help
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. plane — a tool
  20. roll — a cake
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. roll — a list
  24. hand — in cards

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