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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · tear · bowl · plane · wake · stick

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — a tool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. tear — to rip

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