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: net · capital · prune · saw · pit · ball · arm · stock

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. capital — a city
  6. stock — goods
  7. capital — money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pit — a hole
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stock — shares
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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