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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. file — a document
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. object — a thing
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. file — a tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bass — low music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. spring — a coil
  22. object — to protest
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — the season

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