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: wound · degree · cue · deal · press · prune · ground · stem

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ground — a position
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stem — to come from
  8. press — newspapers
  9. deal — to handle
  10. press — to push
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — for pool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. degree — temperature
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. degree — from a university

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