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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. snap — to click
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fine — all right
  11. prune — to trim
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wax — in the ear

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