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: key · hide · pitch · branch · rash · game · plane · cold

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. key — in music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. key — for a lock
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. cold — an illness
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — a series
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. branch — a division
  24. cold — not warm

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