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 116 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: nail · pop · mug · rock · object · ground · prune · bark

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pop — soda
  6. object — to protest
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rock — a stone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bark — to shout
  14. object — a thing
  15. pop — to visit
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. object — an aim
  20. pop — music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mug — a face
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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