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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. land — a country
  5. rest — what's left
  6. land — to come down
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wake — a trail
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chair — a leader
  16. land — ground
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rest — a break
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. prune — to trim

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