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: kick · ground · safe · arm · bound · spell · prune · cell

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — a short time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ground — crushed
  7. spell — magic
  8. cell — a phone
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ground — a position
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — in football
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — letters
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. ground — the earth

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