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: fall · plane · capital · track · foot · chest · hide · ground

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. foot — a measure
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. track — a song
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fall — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. capital — a city
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chest — a box
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ground — a position
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. capital — money
  18. chest — of your body
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fall — to drop

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