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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. degree — from a university
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. suit — to fit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. net — for catching
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. net — in sport
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. drill — army training
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. drill — a practice
  16. degree — an amount
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. kick — in football
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. net — after costs
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chest — of your body

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