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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — shares
  4. degree — temperature
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pit — a hole
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. band — a ring
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. degree — an amount
  15. plane — a tool
  16. chair — a leader
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — goods
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stock — a soup base
  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