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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · lash · present · track · tear · mouse · stand · game

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. track — a song
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. game — wild animals
  7. present — a gift
  8. track — to keep track
  9. present — the time now
  10. tear — from crying
  11. track — a path
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. game — a match
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stand — to bear
  24. tear — to rip

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