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: game · bore · prune · object · leaves · season · rock · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. season — of the year
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. object — to protest
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. object — an aim
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. row — to paddle
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. season — in sport
  15. object — a thing
  16. game — a match
  17. rock — a stone
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  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