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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — clever
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. current — electric
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. squash — to crush
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. foot — a measure
  14. branch — a division
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. plane — a tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. current — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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