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: ball · can · rest · row · press · straw · prune · tear

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ball — a great time
  7. row — a line
  8. rest — a break
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ball — a dance
  14. can — a tin
  15. press — a publisher
  16. tear — to rip
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. can — to be able to
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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