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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — a cup
  4. key — for a lock
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mug — a face
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mug — to rob
  9. march — music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kid — child
  13. degree — temperature
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. key — in music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cap — a hat
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. march — the month
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kid — to tease

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