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: hide · tube · sharp · prune · wake · game · coach · ruler

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — a container
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wake — a trail
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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