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: bore · prune · field · face · degree · rash · swing · temple

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bore — to tire
  5. swing — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rash — hasty
  8. field — for sport
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. field — farmland
  12. degree — from a university
  13. face — to confront
  14. swing — to play on
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. field — a subject
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. degree — an amount
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bore — to drill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — a series
  24. temple — a place of worship

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