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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. capital — a city
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. season — in sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. capital — money
  12. ball — a dance
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fall — the season
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wind — moving air

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