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: swing · face · cell · prune · pitcher · sharp · rule · root

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rule — a law
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — in golf
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rule — government
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — the cause
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. sharp — clever
  14. swing — to play on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. swing — music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. face — part of the head
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. face — to confront

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