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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. club — a group
  7. pitch — completely
  8. tear — from crying
  9. staff — a stick
  10. club — for dancing
  11. tear — to rip
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. club — for golf
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. tear — from crying
  24. leaves — to go away

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