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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. last — to go on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. last — final
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. rock — music
  13. chest — a box
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. charge — a price
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. last — finally
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. date — the fruit

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