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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — low music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. season — of the year
  21. wake — a trail
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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