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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. land — a country
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bat — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — in sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cap — a lid
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. season — of the year
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. chair — a leader

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