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: wave · field · prune · pound · face · bound · wake · can

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. field — for sport
  3. face — to confront
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pound — a weight
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bound — obliged
  9. can — a tin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — farmland
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bound — certain
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bound — tied together
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — a trail
  22. field — a subject
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. face — part of the head

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