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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hand — help
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — a match
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. march — the month
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mate — a partner
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lie — to recline
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. march — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — a break

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