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: mate · hide · stand · plane · perch · lash · mine · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stand — for spectators

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