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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chair — a leader
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bark — to shout
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cap — a lid
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. foot — a measure
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. date — the fruit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — to sink

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