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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. capital — a city
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — in music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. key — the most important part
  12. capital — money
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. track — a song
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bulb — for light

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