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: chip · face · plane · season · squash · bark · drill · wind

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. drill — army training
  11. face — part of the head
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wind — moving air
  14. season — in sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bark — to shout
  17. season — of the year
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wind — moving air
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. face — to confront
  23. drill — a practice
  24. squash — the sport

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