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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. branch — a division
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. current — of water
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. march — music
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. plane — in geometry

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