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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — of the year
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. season — in sport
  12. court — of law
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bay — a horse colour

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