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: fan · plane · staff · field · lie · bay · can · squash

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. staff — a stick
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. staff — employees
  14. can — a tin
  15. field — for sport
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — the vegetable

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