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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. swing — music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pit — in a race
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spring — the season
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pit — a hole
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. kid — child
  23. spring — of water
  24. swing — in golf

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