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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cue — a hint
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stock — goods
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — the time now
  12. stock — shares
  13. present — there
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. capital — a city
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. prune — to trim
  21. capital — money
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. present — a gift

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