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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. club — for dancing
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rule — a law
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pit — a hole
  7. present — a gift
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — for golf
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rule — government
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. pit — in a race
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. club — a group

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