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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. club — a group
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. club — for golf
  15. bound — tied together
  16. scale — in music
  17. rest — a break
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. scale — size or range
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. branch — of a bank

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