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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. court — of law
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. court — of a king
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. land — to come down
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. court — for sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. saw — the tool
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. prune — to trim
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. land — a country
  23. pit — a hole
  24. land — ground

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