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: field · prune · wave · tube · dip · lean · last · club

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. club — a group
  3. last — final
  4. tube — a container
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. club — for dancing
  8. field — for sport
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — the underground
  12. last — to go on
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lean — thin
  17. last — finally
  18. club — for golf
  19. field — a subject
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. field — farmland
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lean — to rest against

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