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: mug · prune · present · stock · craft · squash · degree · race

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. degree — an amount
  3. squash — the sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mug — a cup
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — shares
  9. degree — temperature
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mug — a face
  12. race — humankind
  13. present — a gift
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stock — goods
  16. mug — to rob
  17. craft — boats
  18. prune — to trim
  19. present — the time now
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. race — a contest
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. race — the arms race
  24. squash — to crush

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