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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bat — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spell — letters
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. roll — a list
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — a trail
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spell — a short time

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