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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. club — a group
  4. degree — from a university
  5. plane — a tool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. club — for golf
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — a division
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bat — the animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. degree — an amount
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wind — moving air
  24. degree — temperature

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