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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. net — in sport
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bass — low music
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — after costs
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bass — the fish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. degree — from a university
  16. scale — in music
  17. net — for catching
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. scale — size or range
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mouse — for a computer

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