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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. press — newspapers
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. dip — to sink
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ball — a dance
  9. tear — from crying
  10. press — a publisher
  11. face — to point toward
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. present — the time now
  18. face — part of the head
  19. degree — an amount
  20. face — to confront
  21. press — to push
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. degree — from a university
  24. trunk — of a tree

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