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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. prune — to trim
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. last — finally
  9. suit — to fit
  10. last — to go on
  11. mine — for digging
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. last — final
  18. mate — a partner
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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