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: bay · toast · wave · drill · cold · staff · leaves · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cold — not warm
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. drill — army training
  15. cold — an illness
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. staff — a stick
  20. toast — bread
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. drill — a practice

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