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: rash · pass · sharp · pound · capital · degree · prune · mate

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rash — a series
  14. degree — temperature
  15. capital — money
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mate — to breed
  20. degree — from a university
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. degree — an amount
  23. capital — a city
  24. rash — hasty

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