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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the fish
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cap — of ice
  7. board — a committee
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. board — to get on
  12. bass — low music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. swing — music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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