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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stand — to bear
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tube — a container
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mine — for digging
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. degree — an amount

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