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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. last — final
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — a tool
  6. face — to confront
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — a subject
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — part of the head
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. last — to go on
  19. field — farmland
  20. last — finally
  21. field — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. face — to point toward
  24. ruler — a monarch

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