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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. perch — the fish
  6. deal — to handle
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spring — of water
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. spring — the season
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spring — a coil
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. plane — a tool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. deal — a big deal

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