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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. current — of water
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cell — in biology
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pit — a hole
  11. toast — bread
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. current — electric
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cell — a phone
  16. club — a group
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. nail — for a hammer

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