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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bound — obliged
  3. net — in sport
  4. bound — certain
  5. march — the month
  6. season — in sport
  7. march — the month
  8. net — for catching
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bound — tied together
  16. march — music
  17. season — of the year
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. net — after costs

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