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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — hurry
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. swing — in golf
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — a division
  9. rock — music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cap — of ice
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cap — a hat
  19. swing — to play on
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. swing — music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rock — to move gently

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