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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rest — a break
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — a hole
  7. prune — to trim
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — child
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. shower — to wash
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — in a race
  19. degree — an amount
  20. shower — rain
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rest — what's left
  24. prune — to trim

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