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: pop · prune · coach · leaves · wind · field · net · mouse

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. prune — to trim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — after costs
  6. pop — soda
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pop — to visit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mouse — for a computer

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