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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — a song
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. plane — a tool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. row — to paddle
  11. file — a tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. file — a line of people
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chair — a leader
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. file — a document
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chair — to sit on

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