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: swing · content · leaves · prune · current · staff · deal · stock

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — to handle
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. prune — to trim
  9. content — the amount
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. staff — a stick
  14. swing — music
  15. current — happening now
  16. prune — to trim
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. current — of water
  21. stock — shares
  22. current — electric
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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