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: stick · bound · ruler · trunk · press · saw · staff · prune

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — employees
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bound — obliged
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bound — certain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — to push
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. staff — a stick
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bound — tied together
  14. staff — employees
  15. press — newspapers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. prune — to trim
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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