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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. march — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — to tease
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kid — child
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. march — the month
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. plane — a tool

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