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: arm · suit · plane · degree · game · racket · roll · mine

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mine — for digging
  4. roll — a cake
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. roll — a list
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. game — wild animals
  15. plane — a tool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. suit — in cards
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. degree — from a university
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. roll — on a roll

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