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: leaves · bound · root · mug · fan · prune · temple · pass

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mug — a cup
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mug — a face
  24. pass — to succeed

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