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: bowl · straw · prune · bear · rush · capital · lean · pop

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. capital — money
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pop — soda
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. capital — a city
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pop — music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lean — thin
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rush — a thrill

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