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: bass · fan · stick · plane · wave · tear · jam · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bass — low music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. plane — an aircraft

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