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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — temperature
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. degree — from a university
  7. track — a song
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — an amount
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. toast — bread
  16. track — a path
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. date — the fruit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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