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 120 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: sharp · scale · land · branch · plane · firm · fall · wound

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. firm — steady
  6. sharp — clever
  7. scale — in music
  8. land — a country
  9. wound — an injury
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. firm — a company
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. fall — to drop
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. plane — a tool
  19. land — ground
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. land — to come down
  24. plane — an aircraft

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