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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. ball — a great time
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wind — to turn a key

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