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: row · prune · plane · nail · perch · rule · roll · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. prune — to trim
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. row — a line
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. roll — a list
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wind — moving air
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. row — to paddle
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — government

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