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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. prune — to trim
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. club — a group
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bound — certain
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pop — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pop — soda
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — for golf
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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