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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bound — obliged
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mug — a face
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mug — to rob
  15. object — an aim
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. object — to protest
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bound — certain
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bound — tied together
  24. object — a thing

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