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: ball · nail · fork · rock · prune · spell · bear · degree

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rock — a stone
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fork — in a road
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rock — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spell — magic
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. nail — for a hammer

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