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 · spell · mine · deal · row · saw · racket · stand

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. row — to paddle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. spell — magic
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. row — a line
  19. stand — to bear
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. spell — letters
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. spell — a short 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