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 120 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. prune — to trim
  3. object — to protest
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. object — an aim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. field — farmland
  8. staff — employees
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. field — a subject
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. object — a thing
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mark — a grade
  19. field — for sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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