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

Word bank: sharp · ground · object · wound · lash · fall · plane · track

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. object — a thing
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. track — a path
  11. object — to protest
  12. ground — the earth
  13. track — a song
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. object — an aim
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

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