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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spring — the season
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rush — hurry
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lean — thin
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spring — of water
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pitch — a sports field

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