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: leaves · bore · ball · prune · wake · date · straw · bound

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wake — a trail
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bound — tied together
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bound — obliged
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bound — certain
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. prune — to trim
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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