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: staff · racket · prune · fork · snap · safe · mine · march

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — a stick
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. march — the month
  19. snap — to click
  20. march — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mine — for digging

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