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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. season — in sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. band — a music group
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. root — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. band — a ring
  12. vault — a safe
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. net — after costs
  17. season — of the year
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fall — to drop
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. dip — a sauce

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