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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · coach · bat · roll · dip · plane · deal · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. dip — to sink
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. present — there
  13. roll — a cake
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. roll — a list
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — to handle
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. present — the time now
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. present — a gift
  24. dip — a sauce

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