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: toast · stick · rush · cell · pop · bark · club · plane

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — hurry
  3. club — a group
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pop — music
  6. club — for golf
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. toast — bread
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bark — to shout
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. cell — in biology
  24. club — for dancing

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