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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stem — to come from
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tube — the underground
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — the amount
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. content — happy
  24. tube — a container

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