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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — child
  8. rule — government
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. kid — to tease
  15. drill — army training
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. prune — to trim
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rule — a law
  21. game — a match
  22. drill — a practice
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lash — an eyelash

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