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: coach · swing · land · fine · leaves · degree · plane · fall

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. swing — to play on
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fine — all right
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fall — the season
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. swing — music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fall — to drop
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. land — ground
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — in golf
  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