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

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. net — after costs
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. net — in sport
  9. mug — a face
  10. prune — to trim
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — for light
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — letters
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spell — magic
  21. mug — a cup
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bat — for baseball

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