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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. branch — a division
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rash — a series
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. plane — a tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rest — a break
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rash — hasty
  22. foot — a measure
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bowl — a football final

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