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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fine — all right
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spring — of water
  8. stock — shares
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spring — a coil
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stock — goods
  16. key — in music
  17. spring — the season
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. key — the most important part
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cap — a lid

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