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 124 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. net — in sport
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. net — after costs
  11. mark — a trace
  12. game — a match
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. net — for catching
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. game — wild animals

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