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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — an injury
  3. squash — to crush
  4. craft — boats
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. object — to protest
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wound — an injury
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. object — an aim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. craft — a skill
  24. object — a thing

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