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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tube — a container
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lean — thin
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fall — the season
  24. stem — a stem cell

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