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: ruler · row · plane · fan · bark · prune · stock · capital

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a line
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. capital — money
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stock — shares
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bark — to shout
  20. prune — to trim
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. stock — goods
  24. fan — a supporter

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