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 124 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: club · prune · season · foot · fine · bark

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. season — of the year
  9. foot — a measure
  10. club — for golf
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. season — in sport
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fine — all right

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