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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mine — for digging
  5. prune — to trim
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. craft — a skill
  8. row — a line
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. file — a tool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. file — a document
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. craft — boats
  19. prune — to trim
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. firm — decided

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