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're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spring — the season
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spring — of water
  6. object — an aim
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — a hole
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. clip — to cut
  13. object — a thing
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chip — for betting
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pop — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. object — to protest
  23. pit — in a race
  24. clip — a video

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