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: chip · mark · wind · stock · bulb · rush · ground · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ground — a position
  7. chip — to eat
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — shares
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stock — goods
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chip — for betting

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