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: rash · plane · snap · ground · chest · branch · face · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. branch — a division
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chest — a box
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rock — music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. snap — to click
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chest — of your body
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. face — to confront
  24. ground — a position

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