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: craft · club · date · prune · jam · degree · root · firm

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. craft — a skill
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. craft — boats
  10. firm — decided
  11. root — of a plant
  12. firm — a company
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. firm — steady
  15. club — a group
  16. root — of a word
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — the cause
  19. degree — from a university
  20. club — for golf
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — the fruit
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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