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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. court — of a king
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. prune — to trim
  10. court — for sport
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. court — of law
  14. bass — low music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. pop — soda
  18. suit — clothes
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pop — music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wind — moving air

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