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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. scale — in music
  11. last — final
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. last — finally
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fork — in a road
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. last — to go on
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stand — to bear

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