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 116 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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wound — an injury
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the sport
  8. kid — to tease
  9. squash — to crush
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. kid — child
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. staff — a stick
  16. net — in sport
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. staff — employees
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. staff — employees

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