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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — to push
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bore — to tire
  5. track — a song
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stand — to bear
  10. track — to keep track
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. game — a match
  16. bore — to drill
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mark — a trace
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. track — a path

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