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: prune · bark · mine · chest · vault · suit · game · net

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. vault — a safe
  3. net — after costs
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. chest — a box
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — to shout
  10. suit — to fit
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. game — a match
  21. chest — of your body
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — in sport

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