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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — letters
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spring — of water
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — the season
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — a short time
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bound — obliged
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lie — to recline
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — certain
  23. drill — army training
  24. staff — employees

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