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: clip · land · hand · season · wake · pitcher · plane · bank

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. land — ground
  4. clip — a video
  5. wake — a trail
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — of the year
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — in sport
  15. clip — for paper
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. land — to come down
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hand — in cards
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bank — for money
  24. land — a country

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