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 120 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: land · charge · stand · cabinet · bark · pitcher · plane · prune

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — a country
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — to bear
  11. charge — electricity
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. charge — a price
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. charge — in control

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