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: pit · saw · fan · toast · fall · rash · branch · plane

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. toast — bread
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rash — a series
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fall — the season
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — in geometry

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