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 116 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: plane · safe · straw · kick · bat · bore · fan · march

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — to tire
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bat — the animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kick — in football

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