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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · fall · chair · bear · plane · prune

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chair — to sit on

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