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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. hand — help
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bat — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. hand — in cards
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pit — in a race
  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