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 116 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 · file · squash · band · bulb · firm · ball · snap

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. file — a tool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. firm — a company
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a document
  12. band — a ring
  13. snap — to click
  14. firm — steady
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a great time
  17. band — a music group
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — decided
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. file — a line of people
  24. plane — a tool

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