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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pit — in a race
  3. prune — to trim
  4. firm — steady
  5. ball — a dance
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. row — to paddle
  9. band — a music group
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. can — a tin
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pit — a hole
  18. band — a ring
  19. firm — decided
  20. stem — to come from
  21. firm — a company
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — of a plant

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