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: deal · prune · rock · leaves · current · band · season · rest

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. prune — to trim
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. current — electric
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rest — a break
  11. season — of the year
  12. current — happening now
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — a stone
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — of water
  20. band — a music group
  21. season — in sport
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. band — a ring
  24. rock — music

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