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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bass — low music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. charge — in control
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wound — an injury
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. charge — a price
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stem — 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