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: snap · saw · straw · season · rush · prune · lie · march

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lie — to recline
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — hurry
  10. snap — to click
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — the tool
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. march — music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. march — the month

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