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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. degree — an amount
  5. toast — bread
  6. file — a document
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. file — a tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. file — a line of people
  14. degree — from a university
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — out of danger

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