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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kid — to tease
  8. land — ground
  9. pit — in a race
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pit — a hole
  13. land — a country
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. kid — child
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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