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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cold — an illness
  6. key — in music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rush — hurry
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. net — for catching
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. net — after costs
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cold — not warm

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