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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mug — a face
  4. spring — a coil
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mug — a cup
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — clever
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. plane — a tool

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