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 · patient · game · date · content · sharp · stick · prune

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. content — happy
  6. date — the fruit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pop — to visit
  12. content — the amount
  13. prune — to trim
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. prune — to trim
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. content — videos and posts

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