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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. last — final
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. march — the month
  6. last — finally
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. march — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — to go on
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pop — soda
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. march — the month
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pop — music

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