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: prune · degree · coach · mouse · cap · net · stock · foot

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cap — a hat
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stock — goods
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. degree — from a university
  21. net — in sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — the animal

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