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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. key — the most important part
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. key — in music
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. key — for a lock
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pop — to visit
  17. drill — army training
  18. pop — music
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pop — soda
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. court — of law
  24. plane — a tool

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