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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. key — the most important part
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — in music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. root — of a plant
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. clip — a video
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. root — the cause
  19. foot — a measure
  20. root — of a word
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bat — 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