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: wake · deal · firm · band · plane · cabinet · stock · clip

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. band — a music group
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. clip — to cut
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — goods
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stock — shares
  16. band — a ring
  17. wake — a trail
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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