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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rush — hurry
  5. season — in sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lean — thin
  12. season — of the year
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mine — for digging
  20. hand — in cards
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hand — help
  24. season — to add flavour

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