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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pit — in a race
  3. field — for sport
  4. bass — low music
  5. degree — temperature
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lean — thin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. field — a subject
  13. last — finally
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. last — final
  17. lean — to bend
  18. last — to go on
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. field — farmland

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