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: hand · bore · pass · root · snap · last · straw · prune

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. hand — help
  3. prune — to trim
  4. root — of a plant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. prune — to trim
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. snap — to click
  15. bore — to drill
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bore — to tire
  18. root — the cause
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. root — of a word
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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