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: plane · rush · last · cue · prune · spring · bear · race

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spring — a coil
  4. last — final
  5. spring — the season
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — of water
  8. race — a contest
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rush — hurry
  11. race — humankind
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. last — to go on
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — a signal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cue — a hint
  20. last — finally
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cue — for pool
  24. plane — a tool

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