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

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pit — a hole
  3. net — in sport
  4. march — the month
  5. land — ground
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — a tool
  8. march — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. net — after costs
  11. pop — music
  12. land — a country
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pit — in a race
  15. land — to come down
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kick — in football
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pop — soda
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. net — for catching
  24. kick — with a leg

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