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: court · safe · leaves · bulb · prune · shower · can · snap

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — of a king
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. court — of law
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. shower — rain
  21. can — a tin
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — lets stay

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