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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. capital — money
  5. sharp — clever
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. foot — a measure
  10. capital — a city
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. season — in sport
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — of the year
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lean — to bend
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — a tool

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