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 116 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: saw · wave · bat · wake · spell · stem · plane · straw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spell — magic
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. spell — letters
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. saw — the tool

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