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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. track — a song
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. game — a match
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. capital — money
  14. deal — to handle
  15. capital — a city
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pass — a permit
  24. plane — in geometry

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