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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. net — after costs
  4. shower — to wash
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. shower — rain
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. object — an aim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wake — a trail
  11. band — a ring
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. band — a music group
  17. branch — a division
  18. net — for catching
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. net — in sport

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