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: plane · stand · last · can · rock · firm · ground · bark

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stand — to bear
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — a tin
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. last — to go on
  7. rock — music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. firm — a company
  15. last — final
  16. firm — decided
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. last — finally
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ground — the earth
  24. plane — in geometry

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