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: chest · rock · rash · wind · firm · prune · season · last

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chest — of your body
  3. firm — a company
  4. chest — a box
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wind — moving air
  10. firm — decided
  11. rash — hasty
  12. season — in sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — of the year
  16. chest — of your body
  17. firm — steady
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. rash — a series
  21. last — final
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rock — music
  24. prune — to trim

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