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: plane · lean · land · shower · band · firm · scale · fine

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. firm — steady
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. land — ground
  7. shower — to wash
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. shower — rain
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. firm — decided
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. firm — a company
  16. land — a country
  17. plane — a tool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fine — high quality
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. band — a music group
  23. land — to come down
  24. fine — all right

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