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 124 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. march — music
  12. rest — a break
  13. net — in sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. prune — to trim
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — the month
  21. net — after costs
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lean — thin

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