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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bound — certain
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rash — a series
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rash — hasty
  17. saw — the tool
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. cap — a lid
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. drill — army training
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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