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: rush · bore · cap · coach · fork · can · band · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. can — a tin
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. band — a music group
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. cap — of ice
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bore — to drill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rush — to hurry

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