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: prune · tear · lie · pass · game · pitch · current · content

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. content — the amount
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — a permit
  8. content — happy
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — of water
  11. tear — from crying
  12. game — wild animals
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. game — a match
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tear — to rip
  24. current — happening now

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