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: craft · ground · race · club · prune · content · pitcher · cue

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cue — a signal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. race — a contest
  7. club — a group
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cue — a hint
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — the amount
  17. race — humankind
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. club — for golf
  20. content — happy
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ground — a position
  24. pitcher — a jug

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