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: plane · mark · clip · fan · straw · pound · trunk · stick

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. clip — a video
  13. plane — a tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pound — a weight
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mark — a grade

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