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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — electric
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. net — in sport
  7. current — of water
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. content — the amount
  11. net — after costs
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. net — for catching
  14. wound — an injury
  15. content — happy
  16. fall — the season
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. current — happening now
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rule — to rule out

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