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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pop — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. game — a match
  11. present — there
  12. pop — to visit
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. pass — a permit
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — wild animals
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. pop — soda
  22. content — happy
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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