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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. spring — the season
  5. chair — a leader
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wake — a trail
  8. branch — a division
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rest — a break
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. spring — of water
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — of a tree

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