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: fine · roll · prune · chest · ground · perch · wound · rush

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. chest — a box
  3. rush — hurry
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ground — a position
  9. fine — all right
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ground — crushed
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. chest — of your body
  20. roll — a list
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

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