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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. object — a thing
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. net — for catching
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. object — an aim
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. object — to protest
  15. key — the most important part
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — to bend
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — thin
  21. tube — a container
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. net — in sport

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