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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cap — a lid
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mate — to breed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mate — a partner

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