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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rash — a series
  8. court — for sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. clip — for paper
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. clip — to cut
  15. prune — to trim
  16. court — of a king
  17. clip — a video
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — of law
  24. arm — part of the body

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