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: rule · bore · patient · saw · court · cap · prune · bark

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bore — to tire
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. court — for sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — government
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cap — a hat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rule — a law
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — the tool

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