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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chest — of your body
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. object — an aim
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chest — a box
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ground — a position
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bark — to shout

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