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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. present — there
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. file — a line of people
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cap — of ice
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. court — of a king
  9. file — a tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — of law
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. land — ground
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. land — a country
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cap — a lid
  18. file — a document
  19. present — a gift
  20. cap — a hat
  21. prune — to trim
  22. land — to come down
  23. court — for sport
  24. present — the time now

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