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 · fan · track · safe · tear · content · present · sharp

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — a song
  3. content — the amount
  4. track — to keep track
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — from crying
  7. present — a gift
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. tear — to rip
  14. content — happy
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. present — there
  17. tear — from crying
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. track — a path
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. present — the time now
  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