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: fall · prune · coach · plane · net · bat · ball · lean

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. net — for catching
  4. ball — a great time
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fall — the season
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bat — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lean — thin

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