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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — of the year
  5. pitch — completely
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. land — a country
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. land — to come down
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. foot — a measure
  20. season — in sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bark — to shout
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. season — to add flavour

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