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 116 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: hand · prune · content · fan · racket · vault · kick · wake

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. kick — in football
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. hand — help
  20. content — happy
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. racket — for tennis

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