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: march · bass · field · mouse · wake · prune · suit · rush

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. suit — to fit
  3. march — music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. suit — in cards
  6. march — the month
  7. field — a subject
  8. rush — hurry
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — low music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. suit — clothes
  13. field — for sport
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — a trail
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — the fish

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