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: prune · lie · wind · pitcher · can · land · swing · hide

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — to come down
  5. prune — to trim
  6. swing — to play on
  7. can — a tin
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wind — moving air
  17. prune — to trim
  18. swing — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. land — ground
  24. can — to be able to

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