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

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rock — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — an amount
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kid — to tease
  11. degree — from a university
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — a line
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kid — child
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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