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 116 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: prune · wound · trunk · pitcher · pass · cold · current · stick

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. current — happening now
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cold — not warm
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. current — of water
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. current — electric
  17. cold — an illness
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. cold — the Cold War

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