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: pop · net · prune · object · mate · bat · wake · race

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. object — a thing
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. object — to protest
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wake — a trail
  13. race — humankind
  14. net — for catching
  15. race — the arms race
  16. net — in sport
  17. mate — a partner
  18. object — an aim
  19. net — after costs
  20. pop — music
  21. race — a contest
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mate — a friend
  24. prune — to trim

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