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 116 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: trunk · prune · sharp · cabinet · club · ruler · chip · field

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — farmland
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chip — to eat
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. club — a group
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chip — for betting
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. field — a subject
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for dancing
  21. sharp — clever
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — for golf

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