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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — wild animals
  4. degree — an amount
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. suit — clothes
  7. march — the month
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. march — music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. face — to confront
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. suit — in cards
  16. face — to point toward
  17. game — a match
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. march — the month
  23. saw — the tool
  24. degree — from a university

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