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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — the season
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. perch — the fish
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bank — for money
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — for money
  24. perch — for a bird

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