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: present · track · season · drill · bear · kid · prune · saw

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. season — of the year
  3. drill — army training
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kid — child
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. present — there
  10. track — a song
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. present — the time now
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — a path
  17. drill — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. present — a gift
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. season — in sport
  24. drill — a practice

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