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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fine — all right
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. net — in sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. club — for dancing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chair — a leader
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. club — for golf
  24. fine — high quality

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