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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cold — an illness
  3. degree — an amount
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. degree — temperature
  6. track — to keep track
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. track — a path
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fine — all right
  14. scale — size or range
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fine — high quality
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cold — not warm
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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