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: snap · fan · ground · date · perch · rush · bass · plane

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. date — the fruit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. snap — to click
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bass — low music
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — hurry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ground — a position
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ground — crushed

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