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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — an injury
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. present — a gift
  6. rash — a series
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pop — music
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pop — soda
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. chip — for betting
  14. present — the time now
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. present — there
  24. bowl — to roll

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