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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — a division
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rash — a series
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cell — a phone
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rash — hasty
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. foot — a measure

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