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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. court — of law
  9. field — farmland
  10. vault — a safe
  11. foot — a measure
  12. capital — money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. staff — a stick
  16. court — of a king
  17. capital — a city
  18. staff — employees
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. court — for sport
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. field — for sport
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. foot — part of the body

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