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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. net — after costs
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mark — a trace
  6. last — finally
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — in sport
  10. last — final
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ground — a position
  18. net — for catching
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. last — to go on
  24. bass — the instrument

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