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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bore — to tire
  9. chest — of your body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — to drill
  12. content — happy
  13. stock — goods
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. track — a path
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. race — the arms race
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stock — shares
  20. track — a song
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. content — the amount
  24. bore — gave birth

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