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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fall — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. field — a subject
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mate — a friend
  9. present — the time now
  10. plane — a tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. field — for sport
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fall — to drop
  17. field — farmland
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. present — there
  20. mate — to breed
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hand — help
  23. present — a gift
  24. racket — a loud noise

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