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: pop · ground · spell · suit · fall · patient · prune · bass

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pop — to visit
  4. spell — letters
  5. ground — crushed
  6. spell — magic
  7. pop — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bass — the fish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — soda
  13. fall — the season
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. suit — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — low music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. spell — a short time

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