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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. staff — employees
  3. plane — a tool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wake — a trail
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cold — an illness
  8. season — of the year
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cue — for pool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. staff — employees
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — a hint
  24. season — in sport

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