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

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hand — help
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bass — the fish
  17. root — the cause
  18. plane — a tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bat — the animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. root — of a word
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. root — of a plant

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