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: wave · stand · file · spell · tube · plane · straw · net

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. net — for catching
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. tube — a container
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spell — letters
  12. stand — to bear
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. net — after costs
  18. spell — magic
  19. plane — a tool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. net — in sport
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. spell — a short time

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