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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chest — a box
  17. last — final
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. last — to go on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. last — finally

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