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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — thin
  4. cold — an illness
  5. plane — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. land — a country
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. march — the month
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. march — music
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lean — to bend

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