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: plane · drill · cold · lash · perch · pass · charge · firm

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. firm — decided
  7. cold — not warm
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pass — a permit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. charge — a price
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. firm — a company
  18. charge — in control
  19. firm — steady
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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