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 · jam · toast · lie · club · saw · lash · stick

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. club — a group
  3. toast — bread
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lie — to recline
  24. club — for golf

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