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 120 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: stand · chest · hide · wake · straw · plane · spring · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mug — a face
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spring — the season
  9. stand — to bear
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spring — of water
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. chest — of your body
  24. hide — animal skin

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