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 116 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: pass · spell · bat · key · chair · plane · saw · mine

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. spell — magic
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mine — for digging
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bat — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. key — in music

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