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: bore · row · toast · craft · face · fall · prune · hide

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bore — to drill
  5. face — to confront
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. face — part of the head
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fall — to drop
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. row — a line
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. toast — bread

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