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 116 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: content · cold · rash · prune · pitcher · mouse · suit · club

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rash — hasty
  4. club — for dancing
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. club — for golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cold — not warm
  14. club — a group
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cold — an illness
  19. suit — to fit
  20. content — happy
  21. suit — in cards
  22. content — the amount
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rash — a series

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