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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. band — a music group
  11. mate — a friend
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. band — a ring
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — to breed
  19. season — of the year
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. season — in sport

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