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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. last — finally
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. season — of the year
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bound — certain
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. last — to go on
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bound — obliged
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wind — moving air
  16. last — final
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — in sport
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pass — to succeed

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