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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. scale — size or range
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to click
  18. plane — a tool
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. hand — in cards
  23. land — to come down
  24. scale — in 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