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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. net — after costs
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cue — a hint
  8. face — part of the head
  9. plane — a tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. net — for catching
  16. cue — for pool
  17. face — to point toward
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ground — the earth
  20. tear — to rip
  21. net — in sport
  22. face — to confront
  23. ground — a position
  24. dip — to sink

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