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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stem — to come from
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. snap — to click
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. sharp — clever

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