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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. plane — a tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — a match
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spell — letters
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. game — wild animals
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. spell — magic

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