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: current · press · craft · pop · spring · plane · date · tube

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. current — electric
  7. press — a publisher
  8. tube — the underground
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spring — a coil
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. spring — of water
  13. date — the fruit
  14. spring — the season
  15. pop — soda
  16. craft — a skill
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pop — music
  19. press — to push
  20. tube — a container
  21. pop — to visit
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. craft — boats

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