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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — in music
  3. face — to confront
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. scale — size or range
  10. degree — temperature
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chair — a leader
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. degree — from a university
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chair — a professorship

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