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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — to go on
  6. pop — to visit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — finally
  9. stand — to bear
  10. last — final
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pop — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. shower — rain
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pop — soda
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — the fruit
  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