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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. can — a tin
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wake — a trail
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. can — to be able to
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. degree — temperature
  17. can — a tin
  18. chair — a leader
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bark — to shout
  24. degree — from a university

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