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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bound — obliged
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. content — the amount
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — tied together
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. object — to protest
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. object — an aim
  17. present — there
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bound — certain
  23. prune — to trim
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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