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: board · foot · lean · fine · rule · prune · march · arm

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rule — government
  3. march — music
  4. fine — all right
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. board — to get on
  12. march — the month
  13. board — a committee
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — the month
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. prune — to trim
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rule — a law

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