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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. present — the time now
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — there
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bat — the animal
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. face — to confront
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to point toward
  24. leaves — lets stay

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