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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rash — a series
  4. pit — a hole
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to tire
  7. key — the most important part
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ground — a position
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pit — in a race
  14. march — music
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. march — the month
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bore — to drill
  24. key — in music

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