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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. row — a line
  4. net — for catching
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. net — after costs
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fine — all right
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. scale — in music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. row — to paddle
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. scale — for weighing

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