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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. last — to go on
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. season — of the year
  6. last — finally
  7. cell — in biology
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. deal — to handle
  13. capital — money
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. capital — a city
  23. last — final
  24. cell — in a prison

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