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: fan · craft · chair · spring · ruler · plane · bore · march

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. spring — the season
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spring — of water
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — boats
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spring — a coil

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