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: deal · plane · date · branch · tube · pitcher · board · straw

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — a committee
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — the underground
  11. plane — a tool
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. branch — a division
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. deal — to handle
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. board — to get on
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tube — in a tire

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