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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — the month
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. craft — boats
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — to be able to
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — a skill
  21. can — a tin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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