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 120 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 · stand · staff · bat · coach · ground · plane · wind

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ground — the earth
  4. staff — a stick
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. staff — employees
  10. bat — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. present — the time now
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. present — there
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. present — a gift
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ground — crushed
  22. staff — employees
  23. ground — a position
  24. coach — a trainer

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