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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. net — in sport
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — after costs
  17. vault — a safe
  18. net — for catching
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pass — to spend time

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