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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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 — to trim
  2. rule — government
  3. swing — music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. court — of law
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. court — of a king
  12. rule — a law
  13. lean — thin
  14. swing — in golf
  15. court — for sport
  16. present — there
  17. lean — to bend
  18. present — a gift
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stock — shares
  22. present — the time now
  23. prune — the fruit
  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