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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. game — wild animals
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rash — a series
  8. pit — in a race
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pit — a hole
  14. board — a committee
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rash — hasty
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. sharp — clever
  21. degree — temperature
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. board — to get on
  24. date — on the calendar

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