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: field · mark · suit · staff · wind · wound · chair · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. field — farmland
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. field — a subject
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. field — for sport
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — to fit
  22. staff — employees
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mark — to pay attention

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