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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. file — a tool
  3. lean — to bend
  4. race — the arms race
  5. field — for sport
  6. object — a thing
  7. race — humankind
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. field — a subject
  11. degree — from a university
  12. race — a contest
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. file — a document
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bulb — for light
  21. degree — an amount
  22. file — a line of people
  23. field — farmland
  24. cue — a signal

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