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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. object — a thing
  3. tear — from crying
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. deal — to handle
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. drill — army training
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — a match
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pound — a weight
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. tear — to rip

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