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: pass · hand · lean · capital · swing · content · rule · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. capital — money
  3. lean — thin
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rule — government
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — to bend
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. swing — in golf
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rule — a law
  19. pass — a permit
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. swing — music

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