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: fine · present · pitcher · mine · march · stem · rock · prune

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. march — music
  3. present — a gift
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. present — there
  8. march — the month
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stem — to come from
  13. present — the time now
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. march — the month
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rock — music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitcher — a jug

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