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 124 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. race — a contest
  3. object — an aim
  4. date — the fruit
  5. swing — to play on
  6. firm — a company
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. swing — in golf
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. rash — a series
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — hasty
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. squash — the sport
  21. object — a thing
  22. swing — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. date — on the calendar

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