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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. court — for sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. coach — a trainer

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