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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fine — all right
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fine — high quality
  8. present — the time now
  9. net — after costs
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitch — completely
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. spring — of water
  16. present — a gift
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. spring — the season
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spring — a coil
  22. present — there
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — in sport

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