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: content · bowl · prune · straw · date · bear · rush · pit

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. content — happy
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. content — the amount
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pit — in a race
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. date — the fruit
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — a hole

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