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 120 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — to bear
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cell — a phone
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. key — in music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — for a lock
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. foot — a measure

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