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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · fan · shower · prune · roll · degree · pass · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — to wash
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. prune — to trim
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. present — there
  13. roll — a list
  14. degree — an amount
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. degree — temperature
  24. shower — rain

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