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: rush · prune · kid · march · rash · stick · field · cue

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — a series
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — hurry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cue — a hint
  10. field — farmland
  11. kid — to tease
  12. march — music
  13. field — for sport
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. field — a subject
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kid — child
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rush — to hurry

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