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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. track — a path
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. season — of the year
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bound — tied together
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bat — the animal
  13. track — a song
  14. foot — a measure
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bound — certain
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. club — a group
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bound — obliged
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bat — for baseball

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