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: cue · bear · current · lie · prune · straw · face · branch

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — of water
  8. cue — a signal
  9. current — electric
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — to confront
  13. current — happening now
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cue — a hint
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. branch — a division
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lie — to recline

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