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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spell — magic
  3. pop — to visit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pop — soda
  11. kick — in football
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. field — for sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. field — farmland
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. field — a subject
  23. spell — letters
  24. prune — to trim

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