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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. board — a committee
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tear — to rip
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tear — from crying

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