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: fan · wake · wound · prune · current · ruler · root · saw

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. root — of a word
  7. current — electric
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. current — happening now
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. wake — before a funeral

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