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: cell · ball · firm · hand · spring · nail · content · plane

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. firm — a company
  3. cell — in biology
  4. spring — of water
  5. hand — help
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — the amount
  8. hand — in cards
  9. spring — a coil
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. spring — the season
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ball — a dance
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ball — a great time
  19. plane — a tool
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. content — happy
  24. nail — for a hammer

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