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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. staff — employees
  5. net — for catching
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cold — not warm
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. net — after costs
  22. fork — in a road
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — for light

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