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: saw · drill · arm · plane · board · coach · spring · bat

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. board — to get on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. plane — a tool
  6. drill — the tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. drill — army training
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — of water
  12. bat — the animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. drill — a practice
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. board — a flat piece

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