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 120 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 · press · patient · tear · cue · straw · bear · rule

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rule — government
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rule — a law
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cue — a signal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. tear — from crying
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. press — newspapers
  24. straw — dry grass

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