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 116 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: rush · shower · march · leaves · board · chair · prune · lie

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — the month
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. prune — to trim
  12. shower — rain
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. board — to get on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. march — music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lie — to recline
  21. march — the month
  22. rush — hurry
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. board — a committee

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