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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. roll — a cake
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rash — hasty
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. band — a music group
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a ring
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. roll — a list
  16. spring — of water
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rash — a series
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. calf — a young animal

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