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: racket · bear · bowl · fine · bat · straw · plane · ground

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bat — the animal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bear — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ground — a position
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bat — for baseball

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