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: board · deal · plane · chest · can · net · spell · shower

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chest — of your body
  4. net — after costs
  5. can — a tin
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — magic
  9. net — for catching
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. shower — to wash
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chest — of your body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spell — letters
  16. deal — to handle
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. board — to get on
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. shower — rain
  23. board — a committee
  24. chest — a box

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