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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stand — to bear
  3. present — a gift
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. present — the time now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. staff — employees
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. present — there
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. scale — in music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mine — for digging
  20. scale — size or range
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — to sink
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. deal — a big deal

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