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: face · cold · lie · present · plane · rule · prune · wake

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rule — a law
  6. face — to confront
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — government
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. present — there
  12. cold — not warm
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wake — a trail
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — to point toward
  17. present — a gift
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lie — to recline
  23. plane — a tool
  24. present — the time now

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