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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. clip — a video
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. roll — a cake
  6. scale — size or range
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. scale — in music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. deal — to handle
  19. foot — a measure
  20. degree — temperature
  21. clip — to cut
  22. degree — an amount
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. scale — for weighing

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