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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mate — a friend
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mate — a partner
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — to confront
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mate — to breed
  17. face — part of the head
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fan — a supporter

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