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: wake · drill · game · bay · hide · chair · plane · rush

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. drill — a practice
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. drill — army training
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rush — hurry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chair — a leader

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