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 120 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 · content · bass · can · rash · perch · lean · face

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. face — part of the head
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — to confront
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bass — the fish
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. content — happy
  15. can — to be able to
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. content — the amount
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — to point toward
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — low music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. perch — the fish

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