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: rush · shower · march · racket · date · prune · rule · chip

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. prune — to trim
  12. shower — rain
  13. march — the month
  14. chip — for betting
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. march — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. shower — to wash

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