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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. degree — temperature
  3. key — in music
  4. spring — of water
  5. degree — an amount
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — electric
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rest — what's left
  11. key — the most important part
  12. current — of water
  13. rest — a break
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pit — in a race
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pit — a hole
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rest — what's left
  22. current — happening now
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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