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: prune · branch · patient · rash · bound · spell · lie · spring

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — a division
  4. spell — magic
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lie — to recline
  8. prune — to trim
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — a short time
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spring — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — of water
  21. bound — certain
  22. spell — letters
  23. bound — tied together
  24. branch — of a tree

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