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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. staff — a stick
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hand — in cards
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pound — a weight
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mine — for digging
  18. staff — employees
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hand — help
  21. staff — employees
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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