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 124 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bat — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — after costs
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — for catching
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lean — to bend
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. net — in sport
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lean — thin
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. firm — steady
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — a tool

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