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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. prune — to trim
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. suit — to fit
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chip — for betting
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cell — a phone
  13. field — for sport
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. snap — to click
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — to eat

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