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 · mine · chip · shower · bound · cabinet · present · wound

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bound — certain
  5. present — the time now
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chip — to eat
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. shower — rain
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wound — an injury
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mine — for digging
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — ministers

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