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: present · plane · rest · coach · deal · nail · roll · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — a gift
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. present — the time now
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rest — what's left
  18. roll — a list
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. plane — a tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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