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: bass · leaves · cabinet · plane · straw · stick · pop · mate

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. pop — soda
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pop — music
  5. bass — low music
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pop — to visit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mate — a friend
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bass — the fish
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. plane — a tool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cabinet — ministers

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