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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a tool
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. file — a document
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rash — a series
  24. file — a line of people

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