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: safe · trunk · file · pop · land · prune · content · ball

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — to come down
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ball — a great time
  10. content — happy
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — a country
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pop — to visit
  17. land — ground
  18. content — the amount
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. file — a document
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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