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: lash · coach · fan · object · lean · wound · prune · degree

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. prune — to trim
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. degree — an amount
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. degree — from a university
  16. object — a thing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. prune — the fruit

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