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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. track — a path
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — a hint
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lean — thin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cue — a signal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a song
  21. lean — to bend
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fan — a supporter

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