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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. roll — a list
  6. race — humankind
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mate — a friend
  9. race — the arms race
  10. row — a line
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. spell — a short time
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. mate — a partner
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bear — the animal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. prune — to trim
  24. race — a contest

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