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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. content — happy
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. present — there
  5. kid — child
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a cup
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mug — to rob
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. fine — high quality
  17. hand — help
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fine — all right
  20. mug — a face
  21. hand — in cards
  22. content — the amount
  23. swing — music
  24. prune — to trim

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