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 · saw · march · drill · last · mouse · club · charge

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. drill — army training
  5. last — to go on
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. march — music
  8. last — finally
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. drill — a practice
  12. club — a group
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — in control
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — a price
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. saw — the tool

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