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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wake — a trail
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. sharp — with an edge

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