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: clip · stand · last · root · bass · land · plane · arm

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. root — of a word
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. last — to go on
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. root — of a plant
  9. clip — a video
  10. land — to come down
  11. root — the cause
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. clip — to cut
  14. last — finally
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. last — final
  18. bass — the fish
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. land — ground
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bass — low music
  24. land — a country

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