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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — a lid
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cap — of ice
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rush — hurry
  15. track — a song
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. track — a path

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