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: bore · mug · fan · chip · prune · degree · coach · jam

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bore — to tire
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. prune — to trim
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mug — to rob
  21. degree — an amount
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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