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: root · lean · clip · prune · present · pit · jam · vault

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lean — to bend
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. clip — for paper
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. clip — a video
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lean — thin
  12. root — of a plant
  13. present — there
  14. root — of a word
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. clip — to cut
  21. root — the cause
  22. pit — in a race
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — the time now

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