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: key · prune · bank · bulb · staff · stick · face · chair

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — the most important part
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. key — in music
  17. staff — employees
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bank — of a river
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. face — to confront
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. face — part of the head

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