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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stock — goods
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stock — shares
  17. plane — a tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. shower — rain
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. kick — in football
  24. shower — to wash

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