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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — letters
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. fine — all right
  6. craft — boats
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fine — high quality
  10. press — to push
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. spell — magic
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. press — newspapers
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. press — a publisher
  24. craft — a skill

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