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 · present · roll · rush · season · squash · sharp · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. present — the time now
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. squash — the sport
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. season — in sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. sharp — clever
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — hurry
  16. season — of the year
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. squash — to crush
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. season — to add flavour

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