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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. current — happening now
  4. ball — a great time
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bat — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. current — of water
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. current — electric
  16. drill — army training
  17. squash — the sport
  18. drill — a practice
  19. band — a music group
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ball — a dance
  24. band — a ring

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