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 · spring · cue · fine · rush · press · date

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. press — to push
  4. cue — a hint
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fine — all right
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cue — a signal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spring — the season
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cue — for pool
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — high quality
  19. prune — to trim
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spring — of water
  24. press — newspapers

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