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 120 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: chip · band · perch · object · prune · rule · pound · net

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pound — a weight
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rule — a law
  5. band — a music group
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. band — a ring
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. object — an aim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — a thing
  23. rule — government
  24. perch — the fish

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