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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bound — obliged
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bound — certain
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fine — all right
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — high quality
  24. sharp — exactly

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