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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rash — a series
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rash — hasty
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — temperature
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. degree — an amount
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. face — to point toward
  17. vault — a safe
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to confront
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lash — an eyelash

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