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: date · tube · stick · plane · can · roll · dip · scale

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. tube — a container
  3. scale — size or range
  4. plane — a tool
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. date — the fruit
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. roll — a list
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. scale — in music

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