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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stem — to come from
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. spring — of water
  15. chest — of your body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spring — the season
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. snap — to click
  24. chest — a box

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