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: prune · patient · safe · file · rule · rash · spring · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a line of people
  10. key — in music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. key — the most important part
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rash — a series
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rule — a law
  17. file — a tool
  18. rule — government
  19. file — a document
  20. rash — hasty
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spring — of water

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