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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — a tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a song
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. track — a path
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. face — part of the head
  15. object — an aim
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bark — to shout
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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