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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. hand — in cards
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. kid — child
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — help
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. toast — bread
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to click
  18. tube — a container
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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