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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — the most important part
  9. press — newspapers
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. key — in music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. spring — of water
  24. press — to push

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