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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. court — for sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — of law
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ball — a great time
  17. row — to paddle
  18. plane — a tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. row — a line
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fall — the season
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. court — of a king

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