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: row · pop · prune · degree · kick · march · last · vault

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. degree — an amount
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — to go on
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. march — the month
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pop — music
  11. kick — in football
  12. vault — a safe
  13. row — a line
  14. prune — to trim
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pop — to visit
  17. last — finally
  18. pop — soda
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. last — final
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. kick — a thrill

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