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: spell · march · plane · rest · key · chest · pitcher · land

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. land — ground
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. march — the month
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — in music
  12. land — to come down
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. key — for a lock
  16. spell — letters
  17. chest — of your body
  18. spell — magic
  19. march — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chest — a box
  22. land — a country
  23. spell — a short time
  24. march — the month

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