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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lean — thin
  10. pitch — completely
  11. lean — to bend
  12. degree — an amount
  13. hand — help
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hand — in cards

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