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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · shower · mark · land · last · stem · plane · mate

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. last — to go on
  5. land — to come down
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. stem — to come from
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. mate — to breed
  20. staff — employees
  21. land — a country
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. staff — a stick
  24. land — ground

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