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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — a tool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fall — to drop
  16. craft — boats
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. deal — to handle
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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