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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bore — to tire
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. staff — employees
  7. march — music
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — to bear
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. scale — in music
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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