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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. march — the month
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. march — music
  13. row — a line
  14. degree — an amount
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mate — a partner
  17. row — to paddle
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mate — a friend
  20. march — the month
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. foot — a measure

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