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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. face — to confront
  3. pit — a hole
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — part of the head
  6. present — a gift
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spell — magic
  9. degree — an amount
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. present — the time now
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. present — there
  15. degree — from a university
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. degree — temperature
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pit — in a race

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