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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. charge — in control
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — farmland
  7. prune — to trim
  8. charge — a price
  9. field — for sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. field — a subject
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — to hurry

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