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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. staff — employees
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pop — soda
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. staff — a stick
  14. tear — to rip
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pop — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. staff — employees
  24. pound — to hit hard

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