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: season · date · coach · staff · plane · ruler · clip · row

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. staff — a stick
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. clip — a video
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. row — a line
  9. plane — a tool
  10. clip — to cut
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. staff — employees
  14. row — to paddle
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. date — the fruit
  23. clip — for paper
  24. plane — in geometry

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