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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. lie — to recline
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. root — the cause
  6. degree — from a university
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pop — to visit
  9. degree — temperature
  10. board — to get on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — a committee
  14. snap — to click
  15. pop — soda
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stock — goods
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stock — shares
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pop — music
  24. stock — a soup base

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