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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spell — magic
  5. shower — rain
  6. degree — from a university
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. spell — a short time
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chip — for betting
  14. prune — to trim
  15. file — a line of people
  16. degree — an amount
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. file — a tool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. tube — the underground
  23. file — a document
  24. chip — to eat

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