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 124 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kid — to tease
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. swing — in golf
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. kid — child
  10. prune — to trim
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. swing — to play on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — music
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. saw — the tool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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