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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pop — music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. prune — to trim
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hand — help
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. swing — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. swing — to play on
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — soda
  24. leaves — to go away

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