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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chest — of your body
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. roll — a list
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bank — for money
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. chest — a box
  20. roll — a cake
  21. chest — of your body
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  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