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: arm · court · leaves · field · can · staff · degree · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. degree — an amount
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — a subject
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. degree — from a university
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. staff — a stick
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — for sport
  23. degree — temperature
  24. arm — a part of something

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