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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. field — farmland
  4. last — to go on
  5. degree — an amount
  6. board — to get on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. field — a subject
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. last — finally
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. last — final
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. field — for sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. kid — child
  24. ruler — for measuring

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