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: mug · degree · band · rock · chip · bass · fork · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the fish
  3. band — a ring
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bass — low music
  6. degree — an amount
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rock — music
  9. mug — a face
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. band — a music group
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mug — to rob
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fork — in a road

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