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: coach · ground · clip · prune · pound · foot · ruler · jam

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ground — crushed
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — a position
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. prune — to trim
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ground — the earth
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. clip — a video

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