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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — a cup
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. can — to be able to
  12. roll — a list
  13. tube — the underground
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tube — a container
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. roll — on a roll

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