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 116 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: prune · mark · charge · bat · net · last · cabinet · land

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. land — to come down
  3. mark — a trace
  4. land — ground
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. prune — to trim
  8. last — finally
  9. charge — a price
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. prune — to trim
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. land — a country
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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