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 120 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: bore · plane · coach · rush · prune · fan · clip · bowl

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. clip — for paper
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bore — to tire
  15. clip — a video
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bore — to drill

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