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: band · fan · wave · lean · prune · sharp · mate · game

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — thin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. game — wild animals
  11. band — a music group
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mate — a friend
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. game — a match
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mate — to breed
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a ring
  23. mate — a partner
  24. lean — to rest against

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