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 116 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: can · hide · ruler · staff · prune · wake · perch · shower

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. shower — to wash
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. staff — employees
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. prune — to trim
  10. staff — employees
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. staff — a stick
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. shower — rain
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. perch — the fish
  23. can — to be able to
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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