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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. firm — decided
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — steady
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. press — newspapers
  18. net — for catching
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. plane — in geometry

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