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: wind · press · plane · craft · cabinet · deal · chair · current

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. press — newspapers
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. press — to push
  8. current — of water
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chair — a leader
  16. current — electric
  17. craft — boats
  18. current — happening now
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wind — moving air
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chair — a professorship

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