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 · foot · stock · bat · cold · present · spell · staff

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. bat — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. cold — an illness
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cold — not warm
  9. present — a gift
  10. stock — goods
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — a measure
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. present — the time now
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. spell — magic
  22. stock — shares
  23. present — there
  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