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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ball — a dance
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitch — completely
  7. roll — a list
  8. drill — the tool
  9. roll — a cake
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. present — the time now
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. drill — army training
  21. rash — a series
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. ball — a great time

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