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 120 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: ball · court · prune · rest · mug · kick · present · squash

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. squash — the sport
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mug — a cup
  11. present — the time now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rest — a break
  15. squash — to crush
  16. court — for sport
  17. present — there
  18. court — of a king
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ball — a dance
  22. court — of law
  23. mug — to rob
  24. present — a gift

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