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: craft · ball · racket · prune · ground · toast · pound · club

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. club — a group
  3. craft — boats
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pound — a weight
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. club — for dancing
  9. toast — bread
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a great time
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ground — a position
  19. prune — to trim
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. club — for golf
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ground — the earth

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