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: branch · plane · wave · pound · degree · wake · pop · cell

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. degree — temperature
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pop — music
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cell — in biology
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pop — soda
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pound — to hit hard

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