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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. clip — a video
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. game — wild animals
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. race — a contest
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. clip — to cut
  22. race — humankind
  23. spring — a coil
  24. clip — for paper

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