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: tube · degree · snap · pop · pass · kid · bay · prune

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. snap — to click
  8. degree — temperature
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pass — a permit
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kid — child
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. kid — to tease
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pop — music

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