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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ball — a great time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — size or range
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — a price
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. charge — in control
  17. scale — in music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. charge — electricity
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ball — a dance

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