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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rash — a series
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kid — child
  10. cap — of ice
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rash — hasty
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pass — a permit
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pass — to succeed

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