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: court · staff · plane · tube · bat · deal · mate · shower

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. staff — employees
  5. plane — a tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mate — a friend
  9. tube — the underground
  10. court — for sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. staff — employees
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tube — a container
  16. court — of law
  17. mate — a partner
  18. shower — rain
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bat — the animal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. shower — to wash
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. court — of a king

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