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: spell · court · pop · rest · prune · club · mouse · present

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — the time now
  4. pop — soda
  5. present — a gift
  6. rest — a break
  7. court — of law
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. pop — to visit
  14. court — of a king
  15. pop — music
  16. club — a group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. present — there
  19. court — for sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. club — for golf
  22. spell — letters
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rest — what's left

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