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

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — to fit
  4. net — in sport
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. net — for catching
  7. suit — in cards
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. net — after costs
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — clothes
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kid — to tease
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. kid — child
  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