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: perch · cap · stand · tear · face · prune · root · key

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. key — for a lock
  4. tear — from crying
  5. root — the cause
  6. tear — to rip
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tear — from crying
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — a lid
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cap — a hat
  15. perch — the fish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — to confront
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stand — to bear
  22. face — part of the head
  23. key — in music
  24. root — of a word

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