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: date · game · foot · march · cabinet · plane · rock · wound

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. game — a match
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. date — the fruit
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. march — music
  24. rock — a stone

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