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: net · racket · ground · prune · perch · chest · drill · track

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. track — a path
  3. drill — the tool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. track — to keep track
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — a song
  8. prune — to trim
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ground — crushed
  14. net — after costs
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. ground — a position
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chest — a box
  23. ground — the earth
  24. drill — army training

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