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 116 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — there
  13. shower — rain
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. present — the time now
  18. mate — a partner
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — a gift
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mate — a friend

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