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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. swing — to play on
  4. plane — a tool
  5. present — a gift
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. shower — to wash
  10. swing — in golf
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. snap — to click
  13. rest — what's left
  14. present — the time now
  15. stock — shares
  16. swing — music
  17. present — there
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rest — a break
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. shower — rain
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rest — what's left

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