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: ground · prune · degree · spell · calf · plane · swing · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. spell — letters
  4. prune — to trim
  5. degree — from a university
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spell — a short time
  9. plane — a tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spell — magic
  13. ground — a position
  14. lean — to bend
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lean — thin
  17. swing — music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. degree — an amount
  22. swing — to play on
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. prune — to trim

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