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 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. track — a path
  7. vault — a safe
  8. track — to keep track
  9. band — a ring
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. track — a song
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rule — a law
  21. date — the fruit
  22. band — a music group
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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