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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hand — in cards
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pitch — completely
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cap — a hat
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. snap — to click
  23. hand — help
  24. cap — a lid

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