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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mate — to breed
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. march — the month
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bound — obliged
  11. march — music
  12. bound — certain
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bound — tied together
  20. march — the month
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mate — a friend
  24. degree — an amount

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