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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. drill — the tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. drill — a practice
  10. last — final
  11. race — the arms race
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. race — a contest
  14. drill — army training
  15. plane — a tool
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — a leader
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. last — finally
  23. present — the time now
  24. race — humankind

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