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: plane · can · tear · fall · ruler · chest · staff · perch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. staff — employees
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. staff — a stick
  6. tear — from crying
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chest — a box
  11. staff — employees
  12. chest — of your body
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fall — the season
  20. chest — of your body
  21. plane — a tool
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. can — a tin

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