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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cell — a phone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. root — the cause
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cell — in biology
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a word
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. root — of a plant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tear — to rip
  24. leaves — to go away

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