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 · clip · staff · date · firm · fall · club · foot

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — a company
  4. clip — for paper
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — the season
  9. plane — a tool
  10. firm — decided
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. firm — steady
  13. clip — a video
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fall — to drop
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fall — to drop
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. staff — a stick
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. clip — to cut
  23. club — a group
  24. date — the fruit

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