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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. prune — to trim
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. drill — army training
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. drill — the tool
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rash — a series
  22. field — farmland
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rash — hasty

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