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: prune · plane · pop · hide · fall · bass · content · mark

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — the amount
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pop — soda
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bass — the fish
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pop — music
  15. fall — the season
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bass — low music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — a grade
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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