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: nail · spring · plane · coach · chair · deal · date · bowl

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. spring — of water
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. plane — a tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. spring — the season
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. date — the fruit
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chair — a leader

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