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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fine — all right
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. band — a ring
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ball — a great time
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — from a university
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wind — moving air
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fine — high quality
  23. band — a music group
  24. hide — animal skin

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