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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spring — a coil
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. track — a path
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spring — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. track — a song
  19. chip — to eat
  20. court — of a king
  21. chip — for betting
  22. foot — a measure
  23. spring — the season
  24. chip — in a computer

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