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: pass · prune · swing · object · hand · root · game · bound

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bound — certain
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. hand — in cards
  7. root — the cause
  8. swing — to play on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — wild animals
  11. swing — in golf
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. bound — tied together
  15. game — a match
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. object — to protest
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. bound — obliged
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. hand — help
  24. swing — music

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