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: squash · prune · charge · sharp · fan · track · band · temple

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. squash — the sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. charge — electricity
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. track — a song
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. band — a music group
  14. track — to keep track
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. charge — a price
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a path
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — to crush

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