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: stick · foot · bass · firm · roll · key · mine · plane

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. foot — a measure
  3. firm — decided
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. firm — a company
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. firm — steady
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — a list
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. roll — a cake
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mine — for digging
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. plane — in geometry

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