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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — to bend
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lean — thin
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wake — a trail
  14. game — a match
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bound — obliged
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bound — certain
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. prune — to trim

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