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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. drill — army training
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mate — a partner
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. spell — a short time
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a document
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. file — a line of people
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. fork — in a road

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