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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hand — help
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cap — a lid
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cap — of ice
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rock — music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bark — of a tree

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