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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cold — an illness
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bear — the animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. cold — not warm
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. land — ground
  12. root — the cause
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. land — to come down
  17. plane — a tool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — a country

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