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: prune · mouse · fan · drill · branch · coach · can · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. can — to be able to
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hand — in cards
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. drill — a practice

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