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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cold — an illness
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pop — soda
  18. court — of a king
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pop — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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