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 · lash · lean · field · degree · wound · can · file

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. degree — from a university
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — temperature
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lean — to bend
  11. field — farmland
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. field — a subject
  15. file — a line of people
  16. field — for sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — thin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wound — an injury
  22. file — a tool
  23. degree — an amount
  24. file — a document

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