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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — after costs
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lean — thin
  11. bound — tied together
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. net — for catching
  15. bound — certain
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bear — the animal
  24. prune — the fruit

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