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: season · trunk · club · pop · prune · safe · capital · dip

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pop — music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. capital — money
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — to visit
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. capital — a city
  15. club — a group
  16. dip — to sink
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. club — for golf
  21. pop — soda
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — out of danger

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