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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cap — a lid
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. season — of the year
  11. file — a tool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cap — of ice
  18. file — a document
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. season — in sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. prune — to trim

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