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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — government
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rule — a law
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lean — thin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — magic
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. spell — letters
  23. lean — to bend
  24. nail — on a finger

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