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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. land — to come down
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. snap — to click
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tear — to rip
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. tear — from crying
  21. plane — a tool
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tear — from crying

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