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: fan · staff · prune · bark · plane · rule · cap · ground

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ground — a position
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. staff — employees
  20. ground — the earth
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rule — a law
  23. fan — a supporter
  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