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: mark · kick · prune · track · roll · ball · stock · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. march — the month
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. track — a path
  9. mark — a trace
  10. march — music
  11. stock — goods
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — shares
  16. track — a song
  17. roll — a list
  18. prune — to trim
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. roll — a cake
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. kick — in football
  24. mark — a grade

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