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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fine — all right
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. staff — employees
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. plane — a tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cold — not warm
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — a container
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. fine — a penalty

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