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: pound · prune · squash · key · track · press · land · ball

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pound — a weight
  9. press — to push
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. press — a publisher
  15. key — in music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. land — a country
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. key — for a lock
  24. track — a song

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