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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. spring — of water
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bear — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lean — thin
  19. object — an aim
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. pass — to succeed

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