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 120 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: plane · fan · lean · prune · temple · arm · sharp · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lean — thin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. game — a match
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. sharp — clever
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. prune — to trim
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — to bend
  24. game — wild animals

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