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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mug — to rob
  4. drill — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. prune — to trim
  8. date — the fruit
  9. spell — magic
  10. mug — a face
  11. drill — army training
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spell — a short time
  19. foot — a measure
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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