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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. stock — shares
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pop — music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. degree — from a university
  11. land — ground
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. land — a country
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. branch — a division
  18. wound — an injury
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stock — goods
  21. pop — soda
  22. swing — in golf
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — to visit

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