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 · file · bark · craft · pop · court · lie · wave

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pop — soda
  4. craft — boats
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. court — of a king
  7. pop — to visit
  8. court — for sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — to recline
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bark — to shout
  21. file — a tool
  22. pop — music
  23. file — a document
  24. craft — a handicraft

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