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: dip · date · degree · arm · net · prune · roll · bowl

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. net — in sport
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. degree — from a university
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. degree — temperature
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. prune — to trim
  21. roll — a list
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. roll — a cake
  24. date — on the calendar

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