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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. present — there
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. roll — a list
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tear — from crying
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tear — to rip
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. present — the time now
  14. roll — a cake
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kick — in football
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. tear — from crying
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. present — a gift
  23. plane — a tool
  24. racket — a loud noise

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