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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. clip — to cut
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. club — for dancing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — ground
  8. bank — for money
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — a group
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. land — a country
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. land — to come down
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. clip — a video
  24. pitcher — a jug

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