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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — in music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — music
  10. track — a path
  11. scale — size or range
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — a song
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. key — in music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. key — for a lock
  24. prune — to trim

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