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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. prune — to trim
  7. land — ground
  8. saw — the tool
  9. firm — decided
  10. rock — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — a stone
  15. swing — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. firm — steady
  19. kick — in football
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. land — to come down
  22. firm — a company
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — in golf

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