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: prune · staff · bound · lean · stick · safe · stock · fork

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. lean — to bend
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lean — thin
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stock — goods
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — shares
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — employees
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. staff — a stick
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. prune — to trim
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stock — a soup base
  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