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 · pitch · shower · saw · fork · bound · deal · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. shower — rain
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — tied together
  12. deal — to handle
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fork — in a road
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pitch — completely
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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