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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. craft — boats
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cold — not warm
  20. present — there
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. craft — a skill
  23. present — a gift
  24. pitch — completely

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