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: rash · tube · wound · kick · stand · prune · vault · bound

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tube — a container
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. vault — a safe
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. kick — in football
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rash — a series
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wound — an injury

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