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: cold · date · deal · lean · plane · march · bass · bowl

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. march — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cold — an illness
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lean — thin
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cold — not warm
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. lean — to bend

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