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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. face — to point toward
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. scale — size or range
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — a division
  17. spell — a short time
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. row — to paddle
  20. spell — magic
  21. scale — in music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. row — a line
  24. face — to confront

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