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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. track — a path
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. staff — employees
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — low music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. prune — to trim
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. jam — a tight spot

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