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: sharp · mate · pop · plane · mouse · toast · prune · bat

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. prune — to trim
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. pop — soda
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pop — music

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