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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ground — a position
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — of the year
  14. kick — in football
  15. charge — a price
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ground — crushed
  18. branch — a division
  19. charge — in control
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. charge — electricity
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mouse — the animal

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