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: mine · stick · chip · content · bass · root · track · prune

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. track — a song
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. prune — to trim
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mine — for digging
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chip — to eat
  11. track — a path
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. chip — for betting
  16. content — happy
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. root — the cause
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — the amount
  24. mine — belonging to me

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