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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. lean — thin
  13. date — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — to bend
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pass — a permit
  21. net — after costs
  22. staff — a stick
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. nail — for a hammer

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