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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. march — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tube — a container
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bore — to tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. branch — a division

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