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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. march — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. object — to protest
  5. band — a music group
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — a series
  8. band — a ring
  9. march — the month
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. object — an aim
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. object — a thing
  18. rash — hasty
  19. march — the month
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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