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: dip · pound · prune · fan · season · net

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. net — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — to sink
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — in sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard

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