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

Word bank: stock · court · present · prune · fork · pound

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. court — of a king
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — shares
  5. present — the time now
  6. court — of law
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. court — for sport
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stock — goods
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. fork — to eat with

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