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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wind — moving air
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chest — of your body
  9. drill — army training
  10. wind — moving air
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chest — of your body
  14. game — wild animals
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. drill — a practice
  18. plane — a tool
  19. game — a match
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chest — a box

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