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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. rash — hasty
  7. squash — the sport
  8. key — for a lock
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. key — the most important part
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. toast — bread
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rash — a series
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. prune — to trim
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. field — farmland

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