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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. track — a path
  5. prune — to trim
  6. net — after costs
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. march — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. march — the month
  13. net — for catching
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. march — the month
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — in a road

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