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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. present — a gift
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. present — there
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rush — hurry
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. snap — to click
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. present — the time now
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mate — a partner

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