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: charge · ruler · wind · hide · prune · saw · content · swing

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. charge — electricity
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wind — moving air
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. swing — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wind — to turn a key

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