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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a line of people
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. present — the time now
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rash — a series
  11. present — a gift
  12. rash — hasty
  13. present — there
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. file — a document
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. file — a tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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