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: hide · fan · firm · lean · ground · season · pitcher · plane

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. firm — decided
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — a position
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. season — in sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — of the year
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — to bend
  24. plane — a tool

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