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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. current — electric
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lie — to recline
  8. season — of the year
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bore — to tire
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cold — an illness
  15. current — of water
  16. bore — to drill
  17. current — happening now
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. season — in sport
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lie — an untruth

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