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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. march — music
  4. craft — boats
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wake — a trail
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stand — to bear
  24. craft — a skill

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