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

Word bank: wound · cell · pit · march · mark · bat · plane · nail

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — a tool
  5. march — music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pit — a hole
  9. march — the month
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — a grade
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. march — the month
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cell — a phone

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