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: ground · bound · deal · spell · plane · current · shower · calf

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. shower — to wash
  7. deal — to handle
  8. shower — rain
  9. bound — certain
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ground — the earth
  14. current — of water
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. plane — a tool
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — a short time
  19. current — electric
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. spell — magic

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