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 · pop · sharp · coach · chip · band · cold · bulb

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. band — a music group
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chip — to eat
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pop — to visit
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. band — a ring
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cold — an illness
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. coach — a trainer

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