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: bat · roll · band · mug · wave · plane · file · stem

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. roll — a list
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. band — a music group
  5. bat — the animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. file — a document
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. file — a tool
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mug — to rob
  14. roll — a cake
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. band — a ring
  22. stem — to come from
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stem — a stem cell

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