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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · present · dip · pitch · cell · prune

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. present — there
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitch — completely
  5. dip — to sink
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. swing — to play on
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. present — a gift
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. prune — to trim
  14. swing — music
  15. present — the time now
  16. cell — in biology
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cell — a phone

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