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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. plane — a tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. foot — a measure
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rest — a break
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bat — the animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. file — a tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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