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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. present — the time now
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. band — a ring
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. present — a gift
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. band — a music group
  16. lean — to bend
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pop — soda
  23. present — there
  24. band — a rubber band

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