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: current · deal · squash · prune · bulb · wound · stick · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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 — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wound — an injury
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. squash — to crush
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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