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: fine · wind · branch · lie · object · cue · prune · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cue — for pool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — a thing
  11. branch — a division
  12. fine — all right
  13. lie — to recline
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wind — moving air

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