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: patient · object · prune · wind · plane · bay · jam · track

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — a thing
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. object — to protest
  10. track — a path
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. object — an aim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. plane — a tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. track — a song

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