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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pop — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spring — of water
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pop — to visit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pop — soda
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — a coil
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spring — the season
  21. fall — the season
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cabinet — ministers

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