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 120 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: current · net · present · ball · fork · prune · cabinet · last

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. current — electric
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — final
  6. net — after costs
  7. last — finally
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. present — the time now
  14. current — of water
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fork — in a road
  17. net — in sport
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. last — to go on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. net — for catching

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