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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. court — of law
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — to come from
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. court — for sport
  12. mate — a friend
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. court — of a king
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mate — a partner
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wake — a trail

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