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: snap · bark · chest · plane · spring · pit · dip · perch

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. spring — a coil
  7. snap — to click
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chest — of your body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chest — a box
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bark — to shout
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chest — of your body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spring — of water
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. plane — in geometry

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