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: march · wax · foot · lie · bark · stand · stick · plane

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — music
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — to recline
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. plane — a tool

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