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: net · band · snap · face · rash · current · perch · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. net — for catching
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. net — in sport
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. perch — the fish
  12. band — a ring
  13. plane — a tool
  14. band — a music group
  15. rash — hasty
  16. face — to confront
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rash — a series
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. net — after costs

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