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: leaves · fork · ruler · arm · rash · saw · last · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. last — finally
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. last — final
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. last — to go on
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fork — in a road

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