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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — the earth
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. race — a contest
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. race — the arms race
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rock — music
  21. kid — child
  22. race — humankind
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rock — to move gently

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