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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. charge — a price
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. branch — a division
  7. snap — to click
  8. charge — in control
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tube — the underground
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. plane — a tool

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