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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spell — letters
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. spring — a coil
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — of water
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. season — in sport
  12. firm — steady
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spring — the season
  16. season — of the year
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. band — a ring
  19. spell — a short time
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. firm — a company
  23. spell — magic
  24. firm — decided

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