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: lean · fine · bass · plane · track · cell · kid · hand

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cell — in biology
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fine — all right
  8. kid — to tease
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kid — child
  11. bass — low music
  12. cell — a phone
  13. lean — thin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. hand — help
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. track — a path

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