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 · snap · fine · charge · fork · net · roll · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. net — after costs
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. charge — electricity
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. charge — in control
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. charge — a price
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fall — to drop
  20. roll — a list
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fine — high quality
  24. plane — a 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