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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. firm — steady
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. firm — a company
  5. club — for golf
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rush — hurry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. club — for dancing
  12. firm — decided
  13. date — the fruit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — a group
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cold — an illness
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. wind — moving air

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