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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — a tin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tear — from crying
  6. can — a tin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rule — government
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. tear — to rip
  14. prune — to trim
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. march — the month
  17. tear — from crying
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. craft — boats
  22. rule — a law
  23. march — music
  24. craft — a skill

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