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

Word bank: rock · hide · file · march · fork · rule · prune · deal

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — to handle
  5. file — a tool
  6. rule — a law
  7. file — a document
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rock — music
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — government
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fork — in a road

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