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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mug — a face
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. field — a subject
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. field — farmland
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. field — for sport
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. march — the month
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. nail — for a hammer

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