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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. roll — a cake
  3. toast — bread
  4. tube — the underground
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. firm — a company
  8. tube — a container
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. firm — decided
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. firm — steady
  20. row — a line
  21. prune — to trim
  22. roll — a list
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. roll — on a roll

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