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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bass — low music
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. plane — a tool
  12. shower — rain
  13. last — final
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. last — to go on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. spell — magic
  23. last — finally
  24. safe — out of danger

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