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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. net — for catching
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. last — finally
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. game — a match
  13. saw — the tool
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. content — the amount
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. net — in sport
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rock — music
  22. net — after costs
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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