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: squash · cell · wound · plane · mark · wax · chair · staff

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mark — a grade
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wax — to grow
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cell — in biology
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. staff — employees

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