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: degree · prune · pit · scale · deal · fan · cap · snap

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cap — of ice
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cap — a hat
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. snap — to click
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. scale — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. deal — to handle
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cap — a lid

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