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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rest — a break
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chest — a box
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chest — of your body
  11. club — for golf
  12. fall — to drop
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pop — soda
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fall — the season
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rest — what's left
  23. club — a group
  24. pop — music

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