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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. face — part of the head
  2. rash — hasty
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. branch — a division
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mate — a friend
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — to point toward
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. face — to confront
  18. track — a path
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rash — a series
  22. track — a song
  23. degree — an amount
  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