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: present · bass · lie · prune · wake · game · degree · stick

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wake — a trail
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lie — to recline
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. present — a gift
  15. degree — temperature
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bass — low music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. present — there
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. game — a match
  22. degree — an amount
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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