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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. roll — a cake
  9. branch — a division
  10. pass — a permit
  11. plane — a tool
  12. toast — bread
  13. shower — to wash
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. roll — a list
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. branch — of a tree

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