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: bass · rash · season · fall · plane · snap · temple · sharp

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bass — the fish
  3. season — of the year
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rash — a series
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fall — the season
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. snap — to click
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bass — low 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