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: pit · leaves · patient · staff · saw · prune · bowl · pitch

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — in a race
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitch — completely
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bowl — a football final

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