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: chest · cue · land · rush · prune · lie · pound · ball

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ball — a great time
  3. chest — of your body
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. land — a country
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chest — a box
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — a weight
  24. land — ground

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