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: staff · rock · race · drill · rush · hand · lean · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. hand — help
  8. prune — to trim
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lean — thin
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lean — to bend
  15. race — the arms race
  16. staff — employees
  17. rush — hurry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hand — in cards
  20. staff — a stick
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. staff — employees

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