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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. spring — of water
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. game — wild animals
  11. board — a committee
  12. last — to go on
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. game — a match
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fork — in a road
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — to get on
  20. pass — a permit
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. plane — a tool
  24. last — finally

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