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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. scale — in music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. club — for golf
  5. mug — to rob
  6. shower — to wash
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. pit — a hole
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. shower — rain
  19. saw — the tool
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. club — a group
  23. scale — size or range
  24. plane — in geometry

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