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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fine — all right
  5. degree — from a university
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. season — of the year
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — a line
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wake — a trail
  20. row — to paddle
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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