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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. track — a song
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — to trim
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — size or range
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — a hat
  8. season — in sport
  9. object — to protest
  10. sharp — clever
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. object — a thing
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. season — of the year
  17. object — an aim
  18. cap — of ice
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. track — a path
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. scale — in music
  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