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: mine · chip · wave · patient · trunk · pound · prune · bear

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chip — to eat

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