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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. root — of a word
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — certain
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fall — the season
  8. snap — to click
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — to paddle
  15. root — the cause
  16. plane — a tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. patient — a sick person

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