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: nail · bowl · plane · lie · squash · straw · cell · kick

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. kick — in football
  3. lie — to recline
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cell — a phone
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — a thrill

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