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 geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. club — a group
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — a series
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. club — for golf
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. club — for dancing
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — a trail
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. plane — a tool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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