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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — to shout
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — the season
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cabinet — ministers

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