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: roll · stock · calf · degree · branch · content · prune · bass

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stock — shares
  3. bass — low music
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. prune — to trim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stock — goods
  17. content — happy
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. content — the amount
  20. roll — a list
  21. degree — from a university
  22. branch — a division
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. content — videos and posts

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