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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. scale — in music
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. scale — size or range
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stem — to come from
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cold — an illness
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. perch — the fish
  24. prune — to trim

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