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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. march — music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — a committee
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a music group
  18. season — in sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. net — for catching
  21. cap — a hat
  22. plane — a tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. band — a ring

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