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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chip — to eat
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. chip — for betting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bank — for money
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bank — for money
  18. plane — a tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. band — a music group

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