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 116 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: hand · ground · branch · squash · row · plane · tube · vault

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ground — a position
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hand — help
  11. squash — the sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. row — to paddle
  14. branch — a division
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. tube — a container
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. plane — a tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. branch — of a tree

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