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 · face · court · key · wound · chip · stock · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. face — to confront
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — the most important part
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. court — of law
  8. stock — shares
  9. key — in music
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stock — goods
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chip — for betting
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. court — for sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chip — to eat
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. face — part of the head
  22. court — of a king
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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