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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — to sink
  6. clip — to cut
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. sharp — clever
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. clip — a video
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. degree — an amount
  20. clip — for paper
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. degree — from a university
  24. perch — the fish

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