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: prune · sharp · jam · net · mug · chip · cell · rest

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chip — to eat
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. net — for catching
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — to rob
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. net — in sport
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mug — a face
  20. chip — for betting
  21. net — after costs
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mug — a cup
  24. prune — the fruit

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