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: hand · leaves · face · band · bore · prune · sharp · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. band — a music group
  6. hand — help
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. face — to confront
  16. band — a ring
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. face — to point toward
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. hand — in cards
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bore — to tire

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